FD Rapid TimmStain™ Kit

Timm’s sulphide silver method has so far been considered a very sensitive technique for demonstrating metal ions, in particular zinc in the central nervous system. The principle of this technique is that metals in the tissue can be transformed histochemically to metal sulphides. Subsequently, metal sulphides catalyze the reduction of silver ions by a reducing agent to metallic grains that are visible under a light or electron microscope. Studies using this technique have provided a better understanding of not only the localization and distribution of zinc but also its possible function in the brain. However, the reliability and complexity of Timm’s sulphide silver staining have been major obstacles to the widespread application of this technique. FD Rapid TimmStain™ Kit is designed based on the methods described by Haug and Sloviter. The reagents and procedure of the FD Rapid TimmStain™ Kit have been optimized to achieve a high degree of both specificity and sensitivity for the demonstration of metal ions, especially zinc in the brain of experimental animals. The kit can be used with both frozen and paraffin sections.